Northboro aims to regulate location of medical marijuana dispensaries

NORTHBORO — The town will pursue proposing a bylaw to regulate where medical marijuana dispensaries can locate.

About 15 people attended an informational meeting at the library Tuesday night hosted by Town Counsel Kay Doyle with outside law firm Kopelman & Paige.

Town Planner Kathryn A. Joubert on Wednesday said the general consensus of people at the meeting was to pursue proposing a medical marijuana bylaw, hopefully at the 2014 annual town meeting in the spring.

"What we'll probably do moving forward is to put together a working group or subcommittee that has various board members represented and put together a draft bylaw," said Ms. Joubert.

She said town counsel informed people at the meeting of the basics of what towns can and cannot do in their bylaws. The town has not had any formal talks with anyone interested in locating a dispensary or growing facility in Northboro, she said.

To date, Westboro is the only neighboring municipality that has enacted a zoning bylaw for medical marijuana. Westboro town meeting members, after learning they could not ban the facilities, last spring approved a bylaw that allows treatment centers by special permit in a medical marijuana overlay district within the adult entertainment district.

Shrewsbury selectmen recently rejected a proposal from the Planning Board to establish a six-month moratorium on dispensaries, saying it's too late in the game and that local voters overwhelmingly supported the use of medical marijuana. But the Planning Board is continuing to look at establishing zoning bylaws to regulate the location of dispensaries or growing facilities.

A warrant article seeking to regulate the locations of medical marijuana facilities was passed over at a special town meeting in Southboro earlier this month. Southboro Town Planner Jennifer L. Burney said a more specific zoning article will be placed on a future town meeting warrant.

"There was not a consensus on where the (allowed) district should be located. Initially there was talk about allowing it in the industrial district or along Route 9," she said. "The town just feels there needs to be more work so we can get a better consensus ... on exactly where they would be allowed."

Marlboro established a temporary moratorium on the use of land or buildings for medical marijuana treatment centers until after June 30.

Berlin officials have not taken any action regarding the medical marijuana issue.